Resort Chat: Christina Diaz Gonzalez

The Book Resort is thrilled to have the fabulous Christina Diaz Gonzalez over for a little dish.


Christina is one of the awesome tenners!

Ready? Let's go!


Me: What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

CDG: I just turned in a manuscript for a novel about a twelve year old boy whose whole world changes after going through the Bermuda Triangle.


Me: Spiderman or Superman:

CDG: I’m Team Spiderman.

Me: Wonder Woman or Batgirl:

CDG: Wonder Woman. How cool is it that she has an invisible plane and don’t even get me started on the magic lasso!


Me: Chunky or Smooth:

CDG: Ice cream- chunky. Peanut butter – smooth. Peanut butter ice cream – something to ponder.


Me: Favorite flavor ice cream:

CDG: Ben & Jerry’s New York Chocolate Fudge Chunk


Me: Favorite ice cream topping:

CDG: Cookie Dough


Me: Subway or Taxi:

CDG: Hmm, living at sea level there is no subway, so I’d have to go with taxi.

Me: Broadway Show or Movie Theater:

CDG: Movie theatre. More affordable and I love special effects.

Me: TIVO or DVR:

CDG: DVR

Me: Favorite vacation place:

CDG: Moab , Utah . I went there this summer and loved it!

Me: Next vacation destination:

CDG: Um, haven’t started planning yet.

Me: Favorite NYC hotspot:

CDG: Have no idea. And yes, I live near South Beach and have no clue about that either.

Me: Guilty Pleasure:

CDG: Oreo cookie with just about anything. Seriously, I’ve even dunked them in Cran-grape juice (they were actually really good).


Me: When you were a little girl, you thought you would grow up to be a….

CDG: I secretly wanted to be a writer, but thought I’d end up as a lawyer. Now I’m both!

Me: Last thing bought at the mall:

CDG: A cute “diamond” ring from Forever 21 ($4.80 – LOVE. IT.)


Me: Item on your grocery list:

CDG: Cuban coffee (a must for late night writing)


Me: French fries or Onion Rings:

CDG: French Fries (and if you ask Josh Berk, that’s a breakfast food, too!)

Me: Pizza: New York or Chicago

CDG: ? Any.

Me: Midnight snack:

CDG: See guilty pleasure above.


Me: Bookmark or dog ear?

CDG: I use the bookmark until I lose it (usually after a couple of days) and then dog ear it.

Me: Read with dustjacket or remove it?

CDG: With dustjacket. I love looking at the covers!

Me: Ocean, Lake, Desert, Mountain:

CDG: Ocean, after all, I do live in Florida .


Me: Favorite book:

CDG: A Wrinkle In Time is my all time favorite book.

Me: Who is your favorite writer that most people have never heard of?

CDG: Carlos Ruiz Zafon (many people have heard of him, but no one that I ask)


Me: What kid or teen books made a difference in your world growing up?

CDG: Nancy Drew Mysteries because it was an excuse to go to the bookstore and check out all the latest titles too!


Me: Where do you like to write your books (bed ~ coffee shop ~ an office)?

CDG: On my sofa or kitchen table.

Me: Describe your ideal place to write:

CDG: It would be my couch except I’d have a view of the ocean from my window (oh, and a bag of Oreos next to me)

Me: What are you reading @ the moment?

CDG: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Me: Where do you usually read?

CDG: In bed.

Me: Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

CDG: I keep one in the car for whenever I’m waiting for soccer practice to end.

Me: Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

CDG: Nope, although I rarely read non-fiction.



About Christina:

I grew up in a Cuban household where black beans and rice were a staple of my diet (I craved pastelitos, but only got to eat them when we’d visit Miami). Yet, the moment I stepped outside my house, it was all chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes (which I still like to order). You see, my parents are both Cuban, but we lived in a very small Southern town. I had the best of both worlds. Thanks to my parents and grandparents, I speak fluent Spanish and have a deep love for the Cuban culture. Thanks to my hometown, I was able to spend my days riding my bike, hanging out with my friends or reading books in my “tree house” (just a plank of wood up in a dogwood tree, but it was my private place). I credit this time in my life for inspiring the dream to be a writer.

Then, when I was fourteen, I moved to Miami and temporarily forgot about writing. I enjoyed my high school days and went on to study accounting at the University of Miami. Yes, accounting. Not Creative Writing, not English Literature, not even a general Liberal Arts degree. Well, I still loved books so I decided to go to law school right after college (so much for that accounting degree). I returned to my Southern stompin’ grounds and attended Florida State University College of Law. But my family’s roots called out to me, so I enrolled in a summer abroad program in Spain. It was perfect because, lucky me, I met my husband while studying in Madrid!

After graduating from law school and practicing law for several years, I realized (with the help of my two brilliant sons who were now starting to read) that my true passion was not writing legal memoranda, but writing books for children, teens and adults. So with the encouragement of my very large extended family (think of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding but everyone speaks Spanish), I started pursuing the dream that the girl who sat up in that dogwood tree had always imagined.



Check out:

Christina's website

Christina on Facebook

Christina's Livejournal

Christina on Twitter


The Red Umbrella arrives from Random House/ Knopf May 11, 2010

Now available for pre~order!

Amazon

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